NEWS

Hosted by the Diocese of Phoenix June 24-27, the Catholic Media Conference received rave reviews, with nearly 400 Catholic communicators and media from dioceses across North America.  It was the highest attended conference since before the Covid pandemic. The conference, which began on Tuesday evening with a Mass at the Diocesan Pastoral Center followed by a welcome event at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in downtown Phoenix, included keynote speakers, roundtable discussions, classroom presentations, award ceremonies, a community service project with St. Vincent de Paul, and multiple networking opportunities.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a world marked by growing tension, priests need to build peace and unity together by serving others, Pope Leo XIV said. When hearts are united with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, they are capable of resolving "not only our inner conflicts but also those that are tearing apart the world in which we live," he said in a written message to the world's priests, released June 27, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is also the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A bishop is a man of deep faith who is filled with hope and stays close to his people, Pope Leo XIV said. He is "not offering easy solutions," but rather, he is helping his flock be a community that strives "to live the Gospel in simplicity and solidarity," he said in a reflection with bishops celebrating the Jubilee of Bishops June 25. The heart of a bishop "is open and welcoming, and so is his home," he said. But he "must be firm and decisive in dealing with situations that can cause scandal and with every case of abuse, especially involving minors, and fully respect the legislation currently in force."

For the first time in over 20 years, the weekly televised Mass that airs across the Diocese of Phoenix on local channel 7 (CW7) will be produced by the Diocese’s Office of Communications beginning on Sunday, July 6. The past 1,000-plus Sunday Masses, the majority originating from Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix, were produced by Skyline Productions, led by owner and producer Joe Reynolds. “We are so thankful for the hard work and dedication that Joe and his team at Skyline have brought to our viewers for the past two decades and we greatly appreciate their efforts,” said Brett Meister, director of communications for the Diocese of Phoenix. “With the advancement in technology in the last decade, and the cost efficiencies we can absorb, we are bringing the production of the weekly TV Mass in-house. We are excited about the future and look to continue the same production quality that our viewers are accustomed to watching each Sunday.”

After more than 50 years serving at St. Agnes Parish in Phoenix, the Carmelite priests are departing. They leave behind a parish imbued with Carmelite spirituality and a community that has been deeply affected by it. Joan Gore, a parishioner since the early 1960s, said she and her husband raised seven children in the neighborhood and sent them all to St. Agnes Catholic School. As a Third Order Carmelite, Gore has great love for the 800-plus-year-old order and its members. “All of them have been so dear to me through the years,” Gore said. “I start crying when I think about it because they’ve always been dear friends, all of them. I’m going to miss them terribly.”

Bishop John Dolan announced several new priest assignments on July 3, which will take place throughout the Diocese of Phoenix on August 1 and September 1, respectively.   Fr. John Muir, current pastor of St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix, is one of nine priests who will be taking on new assignments in the coming months. As the current Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Phoenix, Fr. Muir will be shifting from his role as pastor to focus his full energy on his diocesan role in an ever-growing and thriving local church.  

The Arizona Legislature adjourned sine die on June 27th, at 1:20 p.m.  In total, over 1,800 pieces of legislation were introduced with 265 bills signed into law and 174 of them vetoed, which is a new state record for vetoes in a single session. The political situation at the Capitol remains very much divided, but the Arizona Catholic Conference (ACC) was thankful that all of the most problematic bills again failed to pass, while several positive measures were approved into law.

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- After more than a decade without its most famous vacationer, the quiet town of Castel Gandolfo once again counts the pope among its summer residents. Pope Leo XIV became the 16th pope to reside in the papal summer residence when he moved there July 6, following the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter's Square. "This afternoon, I will travel to Castel Gandolfo, where I intend to have a short period of rest," the pope told pilgrims gathered in the square. "I hope that everyone will be able to enjoy some vacation time in order to restore both body and spirit."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Almost four years after Pope Francis opened the Catholic Church's path toward synodality -- a term many in the church had never heard before -- his successor has thrown his support behind the last leg of the church's synodal journey. The Synod of Bishops, which admitted women, lay and other non-bishop voting members among its ranks during its two universal assemblies in October 2023 and 2024, "naturally retains its institutional profile and at the same time is enriched by the mature fruits of this season," Pope Leo XIV told the ordinary council of the synod June 26. "You are the body appointed to reap these fruits and make a prospective reflection."

Selected from more than 2,200 women, Catholic Education Arizona President and CEO Nancy Padberg and AllThrive 365 President and CEO Tammi Bohannon were named two of the 34 Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2025 by Az Business. This acknowledgement is “a testament to exceptional leadership, vision and impact” and a recognition of “significant contributions across various sectors, including business, real estate, technology, healthcare and nonprofits,” Az Business stated.